Apple is eyeing a way to make devices smarter about the media you want to see and hear.

Dubbed "Auto-station tuning," a patent published Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office envisions a media player that will analyze content streams -- over-the-air radio or television, satellite, cable, Internet content, fiber optic, etc. -- to figure out what's playing and what content will be forthcoming and switch from one source of content to another to match user preferences or criteria.

That could mean switching from one source to another "based a user's tastes for music, a give volume level, an aversion to talk radio, or other user preferences or criteria," the patent said.

Diagrams in the patent envision three possible media players under the scope of the invention described in the patent, one that looks like an iPod, another that looks like an iPad, and a third that looks like an iPod with an integrated receiver.

It also raised the example of a configuration that would have the media player automatically move from one FM radio station to a different one when an advertisement comes on.

The media player may generate playlists based on the matching content, and switch between sources of the matching content automatically, according to the patent.

"As if the user were tuning a radio dial," the media player may determine what content to play back for each station, the patent says. "The media player may procure content and generate playlists to represent each station focus on by the user."

About the author

Joan E. Solsman is a senior writer for CNET focused on digital media. She previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and the Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere in New York City and has been doored only once.
See full bio